RV ADRIAEN COENEN
Length overall
Beam height + 0,8m draught
Speed (max)
Passengers + crew
Name The new vessel has been named after Adriaen Coenen (1514-1587), a fishmonger from Scheveningen and amateur ichthyologist. Read more >
Features A-frame, side frame, ADCP & Multibeam deployment, wet lab, dry lab, towing arrangement, material aluminium
Energy Cruising: energy from engines (HVO diesel). Anchored/grounded: energy from solar panels and battery pack. Energy back up by small generator.
Drive Engines Scania (Stage V) Water jets Hamilton
In March 2021 the NWO-I Foundation Board approved the NIOZ investment for the construction of the second new ship in the national research fleet. The seriously outdated Wadden Sea research and support vessel RV Stern was in urgent need of replacement. Next Generation Shipyards in Lauwersoog won the tender and built the RV Adriaen Coenen. She was christened on 6 July 2022 and transferred to the NIOZ. She sailed to Texel on August 1, 2022 and started with her work on the Wadden Sea.
Starting points of design
RV Adriaen Coenen is a smart, functional, distinctive and sustainable ship. The ship was designed on the basis of a long wish list of all conceivable Dutch stakeholders. These stakeholders were not only those within the already known academic community, but also from universities of applied sciences (HBO) and applied research organisations (TO2), as well as NGOs. In addition to the NWO and NIOZ ambition for sustainability and green technology, the final ship has become a compromise between dimensions and draught to maximise the operational portfolio in tidal areas and shallow waters. “The ship differs from the larger research vessels in that it is equipped for such things as day trips for the fast and flexible collection of research samples. These can then be further processed at the nearby institute's facilities,” explains Henk van der Veer. As former head of the Department of Coastal Systems at NIOZ, he was closely involved in the design process.
Operational and technical specifications
RV Adriaen Coenen is equipped with facilities for twelve scientists, assistants, students and other passengers, and two crew members. With a maximum draught of 1 metre, the vessel can cross watersheds in the Wadden Sea at high tide and ground during low tide. The new vessel can tow or push small objects such as the 'Wadtower' (a mobile bird observation platform). For research activities, the vessel is equipped with hoisting equipment, a spacious working deck - with room for two rubber dinghies or a 10ft container- arrangements for deployment of ADCP and multi-beam equipment, wet and dry laboratories, ICT infrastructure and communication equipment.
As sustainable as possible
Aarnoud van de Burgt, project manager of the fleet replacement and head of the NMF department, adds: “RV Adriaen Coenen has been built using cutting edge green technology, innovative design and smart construction methods.” The hull was modelled by means of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations and optimised to the best possible hydrodynamic properties. Water jets are used for propulsion, so the ship can easily operate in shallow water and can dry-out.
A diesel substitute, HVO (Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil), is used as an energy source. This ensures a significant reduction in emissions, such as 90% less CO₂. In combination with particulate filters and a catalytic converter on the exhausts, this is at least equivalent to the emission reduction achieved with Methanol, for example.
Furthermore, all installations are designed to minimise energy consumption and, by that means, to reduce waste. For example, the cooling water systems is equipped with a heat recovery system. The LED lighting work swith motion sensors and solar panels. The ship uses batteries when it is dried-out and it a plug-in facility for stays in ports. In addition, maximum (thermal) insulation has been applied.
Milestones
Contract
In March 2021 the NWO-I Foundation Board approved the NIOZ investment for the construction of the RV Adriaen Coenen to replace RV Stern in the national research fleet. On 23 March NIOZ and Next Generation Schipyards in Lauwersoog signed the contract to build this new research and support vessel for the Wadden Sea. The contract came about after an extensive European Tender procedure in which the weighting factors used focused 40% on price and 60% on quality.
Keel laying
On 8 July 2021, the festive keel laying of the RV Adriaen Coenen took place at Next Generation Shipyards in Lauwersoog. Symbolically, a coin was welded on the keel beam 'for good luck'. This was done by Henk van der Veer (former head of NIOZ Coastal Systems Research and member of the Taskforce Fleet Replacement) and Wim Jan Boon, future skipper of the RV Adriaen Coenen, in the presence of guests from NG Shipyards and NWO/NIOZ.
Christening
On Wednesday, 6 July 2022 Research Vessel Adriaen Coenen was christened at Next Generation Shipyards in Lauwersoog, where the vessel was built. To honour the fleet replacement project coordinator Alex Cofino, who passed away unexpectedly, the NIOZ asked his wife Joke Cofino to sponsor and christen the ship.